City of Edmonton and Mayor Don Iveson:

It has come to the public's attention that a golden retriever has been locked for weeks inside a parked minivan. Temperatures have soared to over 30 degrees in the past few weeks, and this is clearly a case of animal neglect and cruelty. Forcing a dog to live confined inside a scorching hot vehicle, isolated and alone, is clearly a case of neglect.

http://metronews.ca/news/edmonton/1450849/city-of-edmonton-bylaws-cant-remove-dog-living-in-hot-car/

As is common knowledge, all animals are now recognized as sentient - which means that they feel and suffer the same as humans do. Thus, if this would be considered neglect and abuse to a human child, then it should equally be recognized as abuse and neglect to a dog.

We demand that the City of Edmonton's mayor Don Iveson take immediate action to stop this case of animal abuse and remove this dog from the vehicle and his owner before this dog meets his ultimate demise and dies from heat exhaustion. This is a preventative issue and must be dealt with now in a logical and sensible manner. Any person can see that this is animal abuse, and we demand that it be dealt with immediately.

We also demand that City of Edmonton Bylaw 13145: Animal Licensing and Control Bylaw, be amended to include measures against this type of animal abuse, so that citizens will be charged and prosecuted under circumstances such as these when they leave an animal locked and confined inside of a hot vehicle for extended periods of time. The City's bylaw for Animal Control can be found below:

http://www.edmonton.ca/residential_neighbourhoods/C13145.pdf

According to the Canadian Safety Council on hot car warnings:

"On days that seem almost mild, as well as on summer days of searing heat, the passenger compartment of a car can turn into an oven, with potentially deadly consequences. In the confined space of a car, temperatures can climb so rapidly that they overwhelm a person's ability to regulate his or her internal temperature. In a closed environment, the body, especially a small body, can go into shock quickly, and circulation to vital organs can fail.

A study funded by General Motors of Canada found that within 20 minutes the air temperature in a previously air-conditioned small car exposed to the sun on a 35ºC day (95º F) exceeded 50ºC (122º F). Within 40 minutes the temperature soared to 65.5 ºC (150º F).

Leaving a window slightly open, or "cracked," did little to prevent the inside the vehicle from becoming dangerously hot."

https://canadasafetycouncil.org/child-safety/hot-car-warning

Let's also keep in mind that animals do not have sweat glands like humans do, so are physically unable to sweat and must pant to rid their bodies of excess heat.

According to the SPCA, "Dogs (and cats) cool themselves by panting and by releasing heat through their paws. On summer days the air and upholstery in your vehicle can heat up to high temperatures that make it impossible for pets to cool themselves."

http://www.spca.bc.ca/pet-care/health-safety/dogs-in-hot-cars.html?referrer=https://www.google.ca/

Symptoms of heatstroke include:

Exaggerated panting (or the sudden stopping of panting); rapid or erratic pulse; salivation; anxious or staring expression; weakness and muscle tremors; lack of coordination;
tongue and lips red (which may eventually turn bluish in colour); convulsions or vomiting; collapse, coma and death.

This dog is clearly at immediate risk of heatstroke and death, and is clearly being neglected by being confined in a hot car, alone, for weeks on end. If you would not do this to your own child, why is this acceptable to do to a sentient non-human animal? The fact that this has been allowed to occur for weeks without any intervention is outrageous in itself, and completely unacceptable.

City of Edmonton/Don Iveson: we demand that you take action immediately and remove this dog from the car for serious safety concerns and from his owner for abuse and neglect.

Thank you,

Concerned citizens/animal lovers